St. John Neumann
Catholic Church

Each morning, after I have made a pot of coffee, I sit down on the sofa in my bedroom; and while I am sipping my morning coffee, I begin to pray the Liturgy of the Hours (“the Breviary” or “the Office”). As I try and ponder the words of the psalms in the liturgy of the hours, I look out of my window and see the lights of the school (I get up real early). In seeing these lights each morning, I am reminded that I am connected to you, to the parish family of St. John Neumann.

Each morning, the parish of St. John Neumann and the regional school that shares our name are part of my prayer.

Now I imagine that you would expect this, that I would always should. Diocesan priests are committed to pastoral ministry in the concrete here and now of parish life; and from the moment that Archbishop Gregory told me of my appointment to SJN, I have kept this parish in my prayer. But what I want you to know today is that this prayer for our parish is not “formal”, not a duty. It is personal. I pray for our parish because I love our parishioners...the people of this parish. I pray for our parish because this is my family. My vocation as a servant-leader... is to be here, right here, right now.

As we begin to look to the near future of raising lots of dollars and building all that we need and want to build, please know that I will be with you... not formally, not because I have to, but personally, as part of this family of faith. With God’s grace, all is possible for us... as we stay united, together.... a family.

AMDG

Msgr. David

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